Mate? Check! couple's shower

Aside from trying not to cough up a lung this past week - I've been planning a couple's shower.

My biggest obstacle for last night's shindig was budget – I didn't want to spend a lot of money on decorations. So I went to Hobby Lobby and spent $21 on plates, napkins, tissue paper and floral wire. Yep, that's it. Everything else I had around the house (or in the backyard), and well, I made it work.

An invitation refresher:


And here's what a graphic designer can do with a $21 decor budget:


I've been saving green wine bottles, for my mom's wine-tasting 60th birthday party in May, so I jumped on the opportunity to get to use some already. The daffodils were from my front yard, and the other flowers were from a kind neighbor who let me do a little chopping to her shrub. :)


Making labels for the food, is one of my favorite things to do. People like to know what they are eating (whether it's a vegetarian making sure they aren't eating meat or just a picky eater), it's a useful thing to have at a party. Plus, they look cute.


Then of course there were the Martha Stewart tissue paper pom-poms. They are time consuming to make, but totally worth it. Most of these were done over a bottle of wine with an awesome friend – so thankfully soberness isn't required.


The dessert station:

I wanted a way to show off pictures of the couple-of-honor without using picture frames – so, I gathered sticks from my backyard and decorated the tree.

And I had to include my favorite photo of them on the tree:
(It's from Brent's and my wedding. We paired them up as bridesmaid and groomsman, and shortly after – romance was in the air. I call this photo "The Look of Love.")

(Side note about Brent's and my wedding: They aren't the only couple now getting married. In 2 weeks, my good friend from college is marrying the woman he took as a blind date to my wedding. Warm fuzzies.)